Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-10-06
WASHING TON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent.

to relieve business distress. Its
seasons Of relaxation seem to be
exceedingly spasmodic and of short
duration. The time of filling the
sinking fund expires on the 9Th, and
what then to do is most serious
question. It is two months yet
before Congress can give any relief,
and how to bridge the interim is
very annoying and perplexing. The
Secretary has had conference with
the Wall street bankers, aud return
ed just in season TO have a short
interview with the President before
he left for the west. IL is said that
the Secretary questions his authority
to go much further, though the
Wall street sharks have no qualms
of conscience on that point so long
as they have bonds to sell at good
round price, but don't propose to
tender them very lively at the last
bid of the Secretary. The result of
| the interview with the President is
not known, as they are extremely
reticent at the Treasury Department,
but the presumption Is that no
definite policy is settled upon up to
this writing, and that telegraphic
communication and special messen-
gers will have to be relied on, This
will sadly mar the pleasure of the
Presidents trip, and of course cause
more or less delay and confusion,
| and all for the want of some fixed,
settled, and definite policy in regard
to our finances. All this uncertainty
and perplexing anxiety could have
been easily avoided by calling an
extra session, and making amends
for the criminal neglect of the last
/ Congress. If the administration
were alone the sufferers, we could
view the situation with some com
placeny, but where the entire people
are involved, such lack Of fore
thought seems most stupid.
! Our Democratic friends have talk
ed good deal during the past
/ thirty months about Jefersonlan
simplicity, and applied it with
wonderful dexterity to the present
administration The fact of history
is this: jefferson rode down Penn
sylvania Avenue on his nag, tied 1t
to a post near the capital, and un-
ostentatiousy passed through the
ceremonies Of his Inauguration.
To-day President Cleveland is ca
reering through the land in $780,
600 train of cars, reckoning for
ovation and applause. An eye half
open can see the righteousness of
such an absurdiy. A more extrav-
agaut and prohigate subyersion Of
official position was never before
witnessed in this country, aud no
wonder that the labor reunions OF
Milwaukee, Chicago, and elsewhere,
refuse to join in the demonstrations
of welcome, and characterize the
proceedings as ''smacking too much
of the homage paid to royalty in
Europe" No wonder there is bit
teruess and heart burnings among
the laborlug masses Of the country.
The Interstate Commerce Com
mission, like an either Bureaus and
/ Departments of Government, is re-
auired to submit to Congress at the
beginning Of every session, estimates
for the coming fiscal year The law
requires that these estimates shall
be- IN the hands Of the Secretary of
The Treasury by tire first OF October
Most OF them generally come in
later. But the Interstate Com
mcrce Commission is ou hand IKE
sore thumb this year, and wants
e. zU0 f.rtIa S....r..tq,-r and S15a 600
for other necessary expenses The
present appropriation is 100000
and that was thought ut the tin 20
Zee e1trayagaut But here in less
than eight months, democratic re-
form, economics, administration,
proposes iu actual report to Con.
gress to double the amount Some
ioqu,siuye fellow might ask, what.
1a ,Ve Ger I'm refurD That Is a0